Awesome build man! Love the new roll away boxes and the hardware cloth on the floor. I thought for sure the chickens needed nesting material in the boxes (hay, hemp, straw, etc.) but looks like they lay eggs directly on the hardware cloth with out you having to replace messy nests. Do you keep the bottom totally open in the cold winter months as well? I heard you say you tarp the sides but curious about the bottom for draft
Just watched your winterize the coop video! Hay bailes under the nest box to reduce drafts. Now if you could figure out a way to prevent the eggs and water from freezing if you’re out of town for some reason
Thanks, this whole set up has done pretty well for us! In the winter time I buy hay bales and stack them up around the base of the coop and it helps a ton in holding in heat in the coop and blocking out wind. I move the coop a little less frequently in the winter time since it’s a bigger job with the hay bales but they do great. We are adding additional fencing so to give them more space so that should really help this winter too with them not being moved as much.
You can see in the the beginning of this video as well a plastic wrap I build around their water system that acts like a greenhouse and helps keep their water from freezing. That helps keep the water about 10 degrees above whatever the air temp is so it helps until it gets down to 25 degrees or less outside.
Lol... I just done my spring coop cleaning Monday. My hens were PISSED that I was in their coop they all had to go nest & lay in the small coop. 🤣 Hey... Q.. Have you ever had a hen scoop other hens eggs up under her wing & take them to her nest to sit on EVERYONE'S eggs? I've got 2 big English Orpington hens stealing ALL the other eggs & sitting on them. How do I break their habit? Or even should I? TIA for any feedback. 😊
We’ve had one or two that love laying on everyone’s eggs. Never been much of a problem except them pecking us come collection time.😂 Now that we use roll away boxes we don’t have that problem anymore though. I’m not sure how you would break her of it but at least the eggs are safe.😂
Awesome build man! Love the new roll away boxes and the hardware cloth on the floor. I thought for sure the chickens needed nesting material in the boxes (hay, hemp, straw, etc.) but looks like they lay eggs directly on the hardware cloth with out you having to replace messy nests.
Do you keep the bottom totally open in the cold winter months as well? I heard you say you tarp the sides but curious about the bottom for draft
Just watched your winterize the coop video! Hay bailes under the nest box to reduce drafts. Now if you could figure out a way to prevent the eggs and water from freezing if you’re out of town for some reason
Thanks, this whole set up has done pretty well for us!
In the winter time I buy hay bales and stack them up around the base of the coop and it helps a ton in holding in heat in the coop and blocking out wind. I move the coop a little less frequently in the winter time since it’s a bigger job with the hay bales but they do great. We are adding additional fencing so to give them more space so that should really help this winter too with them not being moved as much.
You can see in the the beginning of this video as well a plastic wrap I build around their water system that acts like a greenhouse and helps keep their water from freezing. That helps keep the water about 10 degrees above whatever the air temp is so it helps until it gets down to 25 degrees or less outside.
Lol... I just done my spring coop cleaning Monday. My hens were PISSED that I was in their coop they all had to go nest & lay in the small coop. 🤣
Hey... Q..
Have you ever had a hen scoop other hens eggs up under her wing & take them to her nest to sit on EVERYONE'S eggs?
I've got 2 big English Orpington hens stealing ALL the other eggs & sitting on them.
How do I break their habit? Or even should I?
TIA for any feedback. 😊
We’ve had one or two that love laying on everyone’s eggs. Never been much of a problem except them pecking us come collection time.😂
Now that we use roll away boxes we don’t have that problem anymore though. I’m not sure how you would break her of it but at least the eggs are safe.😂